Kinshasa’s newest urban artery took shape on Tuesday as President Félix Tshisekedi laid the foundation stone for the Étienne Tshisekedi boulevard. Joining the ceremony were Prime Minister Judith Suminwa Tuluka and Kinshasa’s Governor Daniel Bumba. The boulevard will stretch 2 020 metres and feature eight traffic lanes—four in each direction—paired with a 750-metre, two-lane flyover. Additional deliverables include drainage channels, elevated bridges, culverts and a high-efficiency lighting network, all to be completed in a single twelve-month construction window.

China Railway 20th Bureau Group embarks on first public-works contract in the DRC

China Railway 20th Bureau Group (CR20), a Chinese infrastructure specialist, has been entrusted with the entire project. Zhang Guoxu, general manager of China Railway 20th Bureau Group Angola International Company, confirmed this marks CR20’s inaugural public-works engagement in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He stressed the company’s commitment to meeting contractual deadlines and technical benchmarks while ensuring environmental safeguards and construction quality. Governor Daniel Bumba echoed the call for strict adherence to technical specifications and delivery timelines, emphasising the boulevard’s potential to immediately relieve traffic pressure on adjacent routes once operational. Before the groundbreaking, President Tshisekedi reviewed detailed plans, 3D renderings and cross-sections of the future corridor, reaffirming its role in expanding Kinshasa’s transport capacity and smoothing daily commutes.

The boulevard is positioned to become a vital artery within the city’s broader road network, promising to absorb excess traffic currently funnelled through overburdened corridors. Success hinges on rigorous on-site execution, strict timeline observance and seamless integration with existing arterial roads. Upon completion, the new infrastructure will seamlessly connect to Kinshasa’s transport grid, offering residents faster, safer travel and helping curb the economic drag imposed by recurrent gridlock.